Elif Rongen-Kaynakci1 Collection building Policies, curatorial decisions,and other considerations Elif Rongen-Kaynakçi Film Collections Department TAPE Glasgow, 13 may 2008

Elif Rongen-Kaynakci2 Archives of the Filmmuseum Film collection: 7+ million meters of nitrate 45 million meters of acetate (around film items) Film-related collections: Around posters and stills

Elif Rongen-Kaynakci3 What is the real definition of your collection? General definition: collection = holdings (everything, on every support) The core (museal) collection is usually hinted at by the mission of your institute.

Elif Rongen-Kaynakci4 Filmmuseum mission is: ‘…to preserve, present and research the Dutch cinematographic heritage…’

Elif Rongen-Kaynakci5 Film Collection (all holdings): Complete film holdings: various formats, various contents, various status (passive preservation) Museal Collection: consciously built up through active preservation + acquisition (or exchange) along the lines of collection policy.

Elif Rongen-Kaynakci6 Remember that… … a film archive does not hold copyright of the material it holds. - Rights need only to be cleared for using the material. - A film archive gives public access to its holdings (for study, research, etc.)

Elif Rongen-Kaynakci7 The responsibility of the archivist is to keep the images, care for them properly and manage them in a way that they are retrievable. The archivist is not the user of the images. However, our strategy of promoting the archival image is by showing it! This turns us into users/producers. -Educational -Programming -Academic research -Creative

Elif Rongen-Kaynakci8 Building blocks for your collection Random collections Acquired collections Consciously built collections - Different types of donor agreements

Elif Rongen-Kaynakci9 Selection is always necessary! Subject matter Format Purpose of the collection Scope of the collection Focus on preservation or acces

Elif Rongen-Kaynakci10 However… …be careful not to be too rigid to exclude too much of what you have, and not to make a “shopping list”. …do look more deeply into your holdings, to form your collection policy on practical and realistic grounds.

Elif Rongen-Kaynakci11 For example… The Bits&Pieces collection: started in 1992 (by Peter Delpeut) arrived at B&Pnr. 540; more than 6 hours of preserved film. Results: B&P are used in compilation films such as Film Ist.(by Gustav Deutsch), big show with DJ Spooky in the Louvre, etc. B&P form one of our most internationally appreciated and well-known sub-collections.

Elif Rongen-Kaynakci12 Our policy is… Based on intellectual curiosity, non-conformist Geared to show, BUT questioning the ideas of what is presentable and how Broad and inclusive; in defining the Dutch film heritage, we consciously include anything that is shown on Dutch grounds, regardless of country of production. Sharing with the audiences; showing the decay. As few interventions to the film as possible Respecting the historical context in which films were made, distributed, shown, etc. Always showing silent film with music, always restoring the original colors to the print. Flexible criteria, constant re-evaluation; returning and revising former decisions, due to new insights.

Elif Rongen-Kaynakci13 Collection management is… …about containing the volume while at the same time building/growing/improving your collection. a dilemma of quantity vs. quality. always based on selection.

Elif Rongen-Kaynakci14 Be realistic when selecting… Can you really choose before seeing? How much material can you accommodate? How much can you process? How much can/will you use? - in terms of agreements to use: copyright, etc. - what are your access channels?

Elif Rongen-Kaynakci15 Safety film holdings: Hollywood films 1980 to 2007 The target is to: reduce the volume, improve the data and check quality, in relation to the collection policy.

Elif Rongen-Kaynakci16 Nitrate film holdings: The Filmmuseum is the right place to keep all the nitrate film in the NL: Take in every roll of nitrate that is donated. -Examine/research -Registrate/document -Evaluate/preserve

Elif Rongen-Kaynakci17 Nitrate collection of ca cans: Challenges at first: Lack of information & order. Where to begin? What to prioritize? Lack of resources: not enough people, not enough space. What to do? Lack of time: material already in deterioration. Cannot wait to optimize the conditions.

Elif Rongen-Kaynakci18 Solutions: New method to guarantee continuity Inventory using simple form/simple database. Practical approach: rather check condition quickly than to handle with care Temporary numbers. Less reliable but standardized data Database (cross-referencing /gradual improvement); curatorial workflow Bringing together missing pieces Full registration to central catalog only when complete.

Elif Rongen-Kaynakci19 Ordernummer: xxx-2005 (Mrs. A. Emmer) Name:Date: Temp. can number: AEZ… DIVAcat:Fbviewing:Vaultnr: TITLE: On print [ ]Handwritten [ ]1 st titlecard [ ]Given title [ ] Country: Director: Year: Company: [ ] Fiction : Drama[ ]Comedy [ ]Animation [ ]Other : [ ] Non-fiction:Docu [ ]Newsreel [ ]Commercial [ ]Other : Negative[ ]Positive [ ] Format : Image [ ]Sound [ ]Image&sound [ ] Full aperture [ ]Normal sound aperture [ ] Color [ ]B&W [ ]Tinting [ ]Toning [ ] Nitrate [ ]Safety [ ] Head title. [ ]Tail title.[ ]Language: Intertitles [ ] Subtitles [ ] Language: Edgemarks : Negative edgemark: Meters (aprox.) : Number of rolls inside can: Quality : Stock:Perforation:Mold: Emulsion:Stickiness:Rust: Information on the org can: Keywords: Description / remarks N itraatregistratieformulier. Nederlands Filmmuseum, Afdeling Filmcollectie>>>

Elif Rongen-Kaynakci20 Results: Volume is now controlled: completely deteriorated material is destroyed, irrelevant material sent away (other formats, collection-irrelevant material) Content is partially controlled: we have an idea of the collection (strong on the ‘10s and ‘20s, many German, Italian and American films, some unique Dutch material.) New discoveries on their way; possibility of active search, and also possibility of starting the international research and collaboration. Already processing parts of the collection on different levels.

Elif Rongen-Kaynakci21 More results: Beyond the Rocks; already restored; creating lots of public awareness on archival issues. More people bringing in nitrate donations, more trust Involvement of many colleagues: intern(ation)al awareness. DVD as an additional platform of activities and holdings

Elif Rongen-Kaynakci22 Curatorial work: Registration/identification/documentation Research/comparison (co-operation, information exchange; to avoid unnecessary restoration, confusion about versions, etc.) Evaluation (assessing the relevance of the item within various contexts)

Elif Rongen-Kaynakci23 Curatorial advice destroy keep in vault (passive preservation) duplicate (and keep all elements) send away (exchange) restore (active preservation)

Elif Rongen-Kaynakci24 Collaboration For knowledge For finances For awareness Etc.

Elif Rongen-Kaynakci25 Final advice: Do not assume that the material will be kept elsewhere, your print might be the best one surviving. Do not discard your print as merely a projection copy; it might serve as an important reference during preservation.